Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1887-09-01
SHAVING A DEAD MAN.
a BARBER WHO WILL NEVER RE-
PEAT THE OPERATION.

A Widow Who Wasn't Satished-An
English" Dudes RemOnstrance A
Colored Barber Badly Scared by q
Corpse-A Ten Dollar Job.
~That's all right if it's only hair cut; just
sit up a little straighter. II you wanted q
shave I'd have told you to take Bills chair
over there. l couldn't shave you-you look
like that fellow, only you're warmer and not
50 white"
SLike what fellow?'
SLike "a stiff 1 shaved about two weeks
ago. the minute you'd shut your eyes I'd
get 50 nervous might make you as dead as
he is. The resemblance would be so strong
couldn't stand it"
HThat's funny
GFunnyI Well, If you'd ever shaved a
corpse you wouldn't think it was very funny.
Ny heart jumped into my throat when you
stepped into that door. It's over two weeks
since I've shaved that dead man, and he's
been right with me ever since. Every time
close my eyes can see he's glaring right at
me. His face is IS plain before me as yours.
Night and day see it. Ny skin creeps every
time touch razor. Every time touch
anything cold 1 shudder. can feel his cold,
horrible sensation of the moment touched
his face with the razor. felt 1 was commit
ting a sacrilege. felt guilty-but of what
could not answer. If live to be 100 years
old I'll never forget that experience-and Ill
never shave dead man again"
SHAVED DOZENS OF DEAD MEN.
@Oh, pshawl Charlie, you're foolish, y said
another barber, "rve shaved dozens of dead
men and never saw ghost. I'd rather shave
a stir than crank any day, for these rea-
sons: You get paid more, they don't bleed IL
you cut 'em and they never grumbie at your
work I've been paid as high as SO and
never less than s.. That is the regular price
and I won't take less. I've seen lots of funny
things in this end of our business Less than
two weeks ago I went to house not 900
miles from Washington park 1 had finished
the job and was packing my traps when the
dead mans wife-I mean widow-came in
She walked over to the corpse, examined the
face closely, and was turning away with
sort of satisfied look, when suddenly she gave
shrek, and cried like professional
"'Whats the matter, madameF 1 asked.
"'Why, you-you mean thing. You've
p-ppparted his h-hair on the wrong s-side-
bool boop
Another time went to an aristocratic resi-
dence on Michigan avenue; won't tell you
the number because it wasn't very long ago.
The dead mans brother was in the room with
me-one Of these alleged English dudes, you
know, who talk through their nose and lisp
like woman. The first stroke 1 made on
the neck Of the corpse caused his brother take
q conniption.
"'Now. now, now; stop that, 1 say, stop
hat h
not right. You mustn't shave the neck up:
you must shave it down. If you shave it up
the hair will grow up and curl the wrong
way, don't yor~know, and he can never part
it nice again like it is now'
Il looked at the man and saw he was in
earnest, and tried to keep my face straight,
but it was pretty hard work The idea of
shaving corpse so he could part his whis-
kers nice afterwardl
"A funny thing happened once when was
working in Pittsburg, Pa. One night rich
iron man died on Oakland avenue, and a col
ored barber went to fix him up. When he
had shaved one side of the face it was neces-
sary to turn the corpse over. suppose there
was some air in the lungs, but anyway, when
be turned him over the corpse gave an awful
groan. The coon dropped the razor and let
out yell that brought the whole household
to the spot on the run Before anybody got
there the darky was out of the house and
down the avenue as if the old boy was after
him, and at every jump be let out a screech
When one of the men went into the room he
saw the. razor and nearly half of the left ear
of the corpse lying on the floor. The razor
had just happened to strike it when the darky
dropped it and ran. A doctor was sent for,
who sewed the ear on, and then be sent for
me. finished shaving the man and left the
house with crisp 800 bill in my pocket ~
Inter Ocean.